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Neumann Gorettiâ€™s Cameron Young gets a turnover from Wyoming Seminaryâ€™s Nick Ganter during a PIAA Class 3A basketball playoff game at Freedom High School in Bethlehem on Wednesday, March 13, 2019.Christopher Dolan / Staff Photographer Neumann Gorettiâ€™s Cameron Young gets a turnover from Wyoming Seminaryâ€™s Nick Ganter during a PIAA Class 3A basketball playoff game at Freedom High School in Bethlehem on Wednesday, March 13, 2019.Christopher Dolan / Staff Photographer

Wyoming Seminaryâ€™s Dimitri Gnall is fouled by Neumann Gorettiâ€™s Cameron Young during a PIAA Class 3A basketball playoff game at Freedom High School in Bethlehem on Wednesday, March 13, 2019.Christopher Dolan / Staff Photographer Wyoming Seminaryâ€™s Dimitri Gnall is fouled by Neumann Gorettiâ€™s Cameron Young during a PIAA Class 3A basketball playoff game at Freedom High School in Bethlehem on Wednesday, March 13, 2019.Christopher Dolan / Staff Photographer

BETHLEHEM — Neumann-Goretti has not won eight state championships in the last nine years without some close calls along the way.

But it’s hard to imagine the Saints having to endure any suspense greater than what Wyoming Seminary provided Wednesday.

Wyoming Seminary nearly led wire-to-wire, except in the game’s most crucial moments, as senior Christian Ings hit a game-winning layup with 2 seconds left in Neumann-Goretti’s 61-59 win in the second round of the PIAA Class 3A boys basketball playoffs at Freedom High School.

The loss ended Sem’s bid for a state title — to go along with its division, conference and district titles — with a 26-3 record.

“We did not approach this game in any way like the underdog. I can guarantee you guys that,” said Sem head coach Pete Moses. “We watched a lot of film and, as a team, felt like we could win this game. We came into this game like we were going to win this game. That was our attitude.”

Sem’s plans fell apart in the fourth quarter, when its 49-40 lead vanished in the blink of an eye.

Ings scored five straight points to make it 49-45. After Todd Phillips made two free throws for Sem, Neumann-Goretti went on a 9-0 run featuring back-to-back corner 3-pointers by Hakim Byrd and Chris Evans.

“I thought we executed very well and other than the two-minute stretch where we started to play (Neumann-Goretti’s) game, I thought we played a nearly flawless game,” Moses said. “That two-minute stretch was something that really hurt us. Other than that, I thought we played an excellent game.”

Even when Sem faced a 54-51 deficit, Dimitri Gnall made a layup to pull Sem within a point. After Neumann-Goretti was called for a travel at the 3:45 mark, Sem regained possession and Gnall made two free throws to retake a 55-54 Sem.

Sem’s final lead was 59-56 after back-to-back scores by Gnall and Jeremy Callahan.

That’s when Jordan Hall tied the game with a 3 for Neumann-Goretti with 1:20 left in regulation.

That was one of the Saints’ (21-7) 12 3-pointers, compared with Sem’s five triples.

Sem tried driving inside for a go-ahead score, but Hall blocked a shot and Neumann-Goretti took possession.

“We didn’t score on it and they got the ball back. We kind of knew, at that point, they were going to hold for one shot and probably take a shot with 3 or 4 seconds left to give them an opportunity to get an offensive rebound if they needed one,” Moses said. “They gave the ball to their best player. They gave the ball to Ings and he got in the lane. He made some separation and it was an acrobatic shot.”

Neumann-Goretti held the ball for 50-plus seconds before Ings, a 5-foot-10 senior guard who’s signed to play at NCAA Division I Rider, began making his move to the basket.

Guarded one-on-one from well beyond the 3-point line, Ings stepped to his right and drove all the way to the hoop.

By the time he jumped to attempt his right-handed floater, Sem’s Phillips and Nick Ganter each had a hand in Ings’ face.

But, he got the shot off and it banked off the backboard before taking a kind roll for the District 12 champion Saints.

“Twenty years from now when they tell the story, they’ll say it went around and around and around,” Moses said. “It did hug that rim a couple times. But, hey, great game. It’s hard to see it come to an end.”

Sem called timeout after the shot and inbounded the ball with 2.1 seconds left, but the halfcourt prayer shot was off the mark and bounced off the backboard.

Gnall led Sem with 21 points and five rebounds. The senior was particularly important early, when he scored the game’s first six points.

Phillips added 11 points, including the jump shot that gave Sem an 8-0 lead.

Callahan scored 16 points and knocked down four 3s, including one that gave Sem a 13-3 lead.

The Blue Knights’ biggest lead was 24-13 early in the second quarter, but Neumann-Goretti pulled even with a 13-2 run that made it 26-26.

Sem led 33-26 at halftime and even had another 11-point lead, 45-34, in the third quarter before Neumann-Goretti roared back.

Jake Koretz scored four of his six points in the third quarter, while Ethan Meuser knocked down a clutch 3 in the third that helped Sem stay in front.

“It’s a heartbreaker,” Moses said. “The team we played obviously is an excellent team. I think we’ve shown that we can play with just about anybody in the state. I’m very proud of the boys. I think they played their hearts out.”

The Philadelphia powerhouse Neumann-Goretti will play District 12 three-seed Bishop McDevitt in the quarterfinals Saturday.

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